Rocket apparatus.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

A. MAUL.

ROCKET APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.15, 1906.

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ROCKET APPARATUS.

Lx'l'o. 847,198.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed February 15.1906. Serial No. 301,190.

To all whom it warty concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED MAUL, a subj ect of the German Emperor, andresiding at Dresden, Germany, have invented certain 5 new and usefulImprovements in Rocket Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a device for safely landing scientificinstruments that have been shot in the air by means of a rocketapparatussuch as, for instance, described in my United States LettersPatent No. 757,825. In this prior patent I have described theconstruction of the projectile in combination with a photographicapparatus for takingbirds-eye views of the ground; but it is obviousthat in place of the camera any other scientific instruments-forinstance, for measuring wind-pressures, humidity-degrees, or the likepurposesmay be arranged in the rocket apparatus.

means of rocket charges directly secured to the projectile or by meansof a suitable gun.

The particular object of this invention is to provide means forpreventing the delicate instruments from being damaged by coming in tooviolent contact with the ground in the rapid descent of the projectile.

The new device essentially consists of a cap into which the instrumentsare placed, separably attached to the cylindrical projectilecasing,which upon the projectile reaching the highest point of its flight isautomatically released from the casing proper and hangs suspended from athen freed parachute. The latter after the heavy casing has struck theground will slowly descend with the cap and land the instruments withoutshock and danger of damage.

In order to make the inv ention more readily understood, I will nowdescribe it with reference .to the accompanying sheet of drawings, ofwhich- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the apparatus with theclosing-plate removed from the parachute-chamber. Fig. 2 is a section online a b of Fi 1. Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic view of t e apparatusdriven skyward by means of a rocket explosion. Fig. 4 shows theapparatus during the descent, and Fig. 5 after the cylindrical casinghas struck the ground.

The cylindrical casing 1 is provided with a cap 2, holding thescientific instruments, and journals a shaft 3, carrying a lever-arm 4The upward propulsion of the apparatus may be effected by and at eitherfree end a locking-hook 5. These latter cooperate with pins 6 on the cap2, locking the parts 1 and 2 together. In the cylinder 1 there isprovided a compartment for storing the parachute 7 and the ropes orstraps 8 and 9, which connect the parachute to the parts 1 and 2. Thelever-arm 4, rigidly secured to the shaft 3, is constructed in the shapeof a ladder and serves as guide and brake for the longer strap 8, whichconnects parachute and casing and is wound upon the raked drum 10, asclearly shown in Fig. 2. The cap 2 is provided with a lug 11, whichordinarily extends through the cover of the cylinder and to which isattached the strap 9, the other end of which is secured to theparachute.

A bell-crank lever 12, the one arm of which lies against and is operatedby the lever 4, while the other lies just below the lug 11,. ispivotally secured in the casing 1. Access to the parachute-compartmentis had by means of a cover-plate 16, which is held in position above bya fixed eye 13 and below by a time-- fuse-controlled celluloid or thelike strip 14 The parachute is pressed against the cover- 18178 16 by anelastic bolster 15, as shown in The ignition of the powder charge of therocket is effected in any suitable manner, and there are rovidedtime-fuses or clockwork in the cyhnder, and in the cap if necessary, forsuccessively disengaging the various operating parts; but as theconstruction and operation of these parts are known in the art, beingdescribed, for instance, in my United States Letters Patent No. 757,825,and form no important part of this invention it ils unnecessary todescribe them here in detai The operation of the apparatus is thefollowing: The fuses are so timed that upon the projectile, which hasbeen shot into the air 1n any well-known manner, commencing its descentthe fuse 14 is burned through, releasing the cover-plate and freeingthereby the parachute, which now expands. The apparatus descends anddraws the strap 8 taut, with the result of swinging out the brake-ladder4. This causes, first, the hooks to free the pins 6 and, secondly, rocksthe bell-crank lever 12, which thereby pushes the lug 11 out of thecasing, disengaging in this manner the cap 2 from the casing 1. Thestrap 8 by reason of the weight of the attachedcylinder 1 reels off thebraked drum 10 during the quick descent. Upon thev cylinder striking theground the pull on the parachute through strap 8 is suddenly eased, andthe cap containing the instruments, suspended from the parachute, willnow slowly descend and land without shock.

What I claim is 1. In a rocket apparatus, the combination with a casinghaving a compartment, of a cover-plate for said compartment, ahollowcap, means for temporarily securing said cap to said casing, andtime-controlled means for releasing said cap, substantially as setforth.

2. In a rocket apparatus, the combination with a casing having acompartment, of a cover-plate for said compartment, a parachute in saidcompartment, a hollow cap adapted to receive scientific instruments,means for temporarily securing said cap to said casing, time-controlledmeans for releasing said cap, straps connecting said parachute, saidcasing and said cap, and actuating saidlcapweleasing means,substantially as set fort 1.

3. In a rocket apparatus, the combination with a casing having acompartment, of a cover-plate therefor, time-controlled means forreleasing said cover-plate, a hollow cap adapted to contain scientificinstruments, means for temporarily securing said cap to said casing,comprising a shaft, locking-hooks at either end thereof and a lugextending into said casing, a parachute in said compartment, strapsconnecting said parachute, said casing and said cap, means for ejectingsaid parachute, and means for releasing said cap, comprising aladder-lever controlling said locking-hooks, a braked drum, and abellcrank lever cooperating with said lug, the parts being constructed,arranged, and-cooperating substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED MAUL.

Witnesses:

FRANZ N. LEHNERs, CuEMNITZ H. SCHILLING.

